The medicinal value of art

Posted At : November 29, 2011 11:22 AM | Posted By : Steve Hart
Related Categories: What's new

It's long been proven how beneficial art can be in the healing process - phyiscally, spiritually and mentally.

Immokalee wil soon become a regional center for the application of art in the healing process.

Representatives from the University of Florida Center for Arts in Healthcare (UF CAHRE) will be in Immokalee on December 6th and 7th to host an informal reception and training to introduce a new arts in healthcare program.

The Arts in Healthcare for Rural Communities initiative is a collaborative effort between the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Shands Arts in Medicine (AIM), the UF Center for the Arts in Healthcare and several Immokalee community agencies, including the FSU College of Medicine, CHS Healthcare (Collier Health Services), the Collier County Health Department, The Alliance for the Arts, and the United Arts Council of Collier County. Support for the initiative has been provided by the Kresge Foundation and the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.

The reception will be held on Tuesday, December 6th at 5:30pm at the FSU College of Medicine Health Education Site in Immokalee, located at 1441 Heritage Blvd. During the informal meeting, leaders from UF CAHRE will speak about the affect of the arts in healthcare in rural communities around the state of Florida. Local partners will talk about how the public, as well as professional artists, can become involved in this new program. In addition, an Arts in Healthcare for Rural Communities Training will be held at the same location on Wednesday, December 7th from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm.

Immokalee is one of the latest rural communities identified by UF CAHRE, Shands AIM and the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs to develop an art in healthcare initiative in response to locally identified community health needs. A multidisciplinary arts-based approach, including visual, literary, and performing arts, will be developed to address health literacy, community engagement, and health outcomes. The initiative aims to reach individuals of all ages, their families, health care providers, and the Immokalee community-at-large. Javier Rosado, PhD, is the Immokalee contact for the initiative. He can be reached at Javier.rosado@med.fsu.edu.